An inspiring start to the new year
Dear VCU community, Welcome back! Our new academic year is off to an inspiring start. I was pleased to join many of you at Ram Camp, Move-In Day, New Student Convocation, and several other events throughout the first week. And already, you have renewed my energy and given me a glimpse of the many ways […]
The vital importance of the humanities
This week in Cleveland, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is convening a conference of Community College-University Partnerships, of which VCU is proud to be a part. I have the pleasure of addressing colleagues from across the nation at a gathering of 2- and 4-year college leaders who understand—and commit to—the inherent value of working together […]
Redefining the American Dream
During May commencement, I spoke of the American Dream and its evolution. U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize recipient Rita Dove said two decades ago, “The American Dream is a phrase that we’ll have to wrestle with all of our lives. It means a lot of things to different people. I think we’re redefining it […]
VCU is all heart
We performed the 16th heart transplant in human history more than half century ago. And we continue to be on the front lines of the war against mankind’s greatest killer. Every year, about 630,000 Americans die of heart disease. That’s a staggering number. To put it in tragic perspective, that’s like losing the entire […]
Response, service and compassion during tragedy
With heavy hearts, we recognize the tremendous loss and extend our condolences to the victims of the tragic shootings at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. We reach out to their families, friends, and community at large, to offer our empathy for their despair and grief. While these senseless and brutal acts of violence take a toll on us all, the families carry the greatest burden.
Congratulations to VCU Class of 2019
While earning your degree in and outside of the classroom you redefined the American Dream to truly represent who we are today.
